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Leman Russ Vanquisher
The Leman Russ Vanquisher is a variant of the Astra Militarum's primary main battle tank, the Leman Russ. The Leman Russ is named after the Primarch of the Space Wolves Space Marines Chapter, Leman Russ, and is one of the most common armoured vehicles used by the Imperium of Man. The Leman Russ Vanquisher variant differs from the standard pattern Leman Russ in that its main weapon is a Vanquisher Cannon, as opposed to the Battle Cannon. The Leman Russ Vanquisher is a much rarer and more advanced variant of the standard Leman Russ as the long-barrelled Vanquisher Cannon mounted on the Leman Russ Vanquisher is capable of firing powerful anti-tank shells. In addition, there is a Storm Bolter mounted co-axially to the main cannon. Amongst the many variants of the Leman Russ main battle tank, the Vanquisher is the only one which serves as a dedicated tank hunter. The Vanquisher Cannon is able to rip open any other tank with one well-placed shot, and even threaten a mighty Titan caught with its Void Shields down. However, the Vanquisher's lack of antipersonnel weaponry leaves it relatively vulnerable to infantry attacks, and thus the Vanquisher rarely operates alone but is supported either by squads of Imperial Guardsmen, or other Leman Russ variants better equipped to deal with infantry. The Leman Russ Vanquisher is becoming increasingly rare among the forces of the Imperial Guard, as the skills and technology required for the construction of the Vanquisher Cannon were lost when the Forge World of Tigrus was overrun by Orks. However, no other battle tank possesses more raw stopping power, and so the Vanquisher is still deployed whenever possible against heavily armoured enemies. The long-range and high first-hit kill ratio of its main armament make it the anti-tank weapon of choice for most Imperial commanders. History anti-air tank]] The Leman Russ Vanquisher is becoming increasingly rare in Imperial service due to the actions of the Ork Warlord Arrgard the Defiler, who scoured the Forge World of Tigrus in the 35th Millennium, destroying the Standard Template Construct (STC) designs for constructing the Vanquisher Cannon in the process. Since that loss, efforts have been made to reproduce more Vanquisher Cannons on other Forge Worlds, with only mixed success. The Forge Worlds of Trebor I, Gryphonne IV and Stygies VIII have enjoyed the most success, and are now capable of producing Vanquisher Cannons in limited quantities. Other Forge Worlds continue their efforts, though it is a slow and complex process. Of all the extant Imperial Forge Worlds, only Trebor I caters exclusively to the needs of Cadia. One of the most sought-after creations from Trebor I is its pattern of the Vanquisher Cannon which is known as the Heavy Vanquisher Cannon, and is the most powerful of all the Vanquisher Cannon variants. During the Dark Age of Technology, the two independent interstellar empires of Terra and Mars co-existed, to the mutual benefit of both. Trebor I was colonised by survivors from both Terra and Mars after their starships were lost and damaged during a Warp Storm. This forced both groups to combine their knowledge and build the most advanced of of all the Forge Worlds. Lost for centuries, Trebor I was re-discovered for the Imperium by Commissar Yarrick during the Second War for Armageddon. As a result, Trebor I has sworn its allegiance -- and more importantly, its industrial output -- only to Commissar Yarrick and to Cadia. Vanquisher Cannon Variants The three Forge Worlds' versions of the Vanquisher Cannon are not exact copies of the original STC pattern. Instead, each possesses slightly different qualities. Gryphonne IV's cannons are longer than the Stygies VIII equivalents, producing remarkable shell velocity to penetrate armour plate. Stygies VIII cannons are shorter, and utilise a smaller calibre shell with no barrel rifling. However, the Stygies VIII cannons have superior recoil absorption, allowing for greater accuracy with follow-up shots. The Trebor I Heavy Vanquisher Cannons are the longest of all three, and each can easily be identified by its longer and thicker barrel and the heavy-gauge suppressor/velocity compensator that resembles the tip of a Hellhammer Cannon. The thicker barrel along with the heavy-gauge compensators allow for a range that is 25% farther than either of the other two patterns of the cannon, with amazing pin-point accuracy. This power and accuracy has brought many a Chaos Titan and Greenskin Stompa to their demise with little effort as a result of this Heavy Vanquisher Cannon's power. The remarkable penetrative power of the Leman Russ Vanquisher means it is a highly desired tool for Imperial Commanders. Not even a Titan is safe from their mighty weapons. This fact has not escaped the Imperium’s enemies amongst the Forces of Chaos and the more intelligent Ork hordes, who tend to make Vanquishers priority targets for capture. Armament moving across no-man's-land during the Siege of Vraks]] The Leman Russ Vanquisher's main weapon, the Vanquisher Cannon, is a longer and more powerful version of the Battle Cannon used on the baseline Leman Russ. The weapon's firepower allows the tank to penetrate even the thickest of enemy armour. The Leman Russ Vanquisher is also one of only two Leman Russ tank variants that has a co-axial weapon mounted on the tank's turret, the other being the Leman Russ Conqueror. The co-axial weapon is usually a Storm Bolter, but some Imperial Guard Regiments have also used a Heavy Stubber. The Leman Russ Vanquisher, like all Leman Russ variants, can be equipped with two sponson mounts, one on each side. The most common configuration for the sponson-mount is 2 Heavy Bolters or 2 Heavy Flamers. Leman Russ tanks that are a part of an unusually well-equipped armoured regiment sometimes have 2 Multi-Meltas or 2 Plasma Cannons as their sponson weapons. The tank can also be equipped with Camouflage Netting, Extra Armour Plating, a Hunter-Killer Missile Launcher, improved communications equipment, a mine sweeper, a pintle-mounted Heavy Stubber or Storm Bolter, track guards, a Searchlight, rough terrain modifications, a Dozer Blade, and Smoke Launchers. Ammunition Types The Vanquisher Cannon carried on the Leman Russ Vanquisher is able to use several types of ammunition, including but not limited to the following: *'Vanquisher Anti-Tank Shells' - Vanquisher Anti-Tank Rounds are the standard ammunition used by the Vanquisher Cannon, no matter what chassis the weapon is mounted on. These shells are a more advanced version of the basic anti-tank round, featuring a either a shaped explosive charge or a solid dart of super-dense metal contained within a lightweight case. When fired, the outer case will drop away, leaving the high-velocity dart to impact the target. The shell is fired using a charge of high energy propellent powder which generates extreme velocity when travelling down the Vanquisher Cannon's long barrel. The combined effect of the super-dense dart and high-velocity creates a massive amount of kinetic energy upon impact, and is capable of penetrating almost any armour known to the Imperium. *'Illumination Shells' - Illumination Shells, also known as Flare Shells, are used by many of the Imperium's artillery formations and main battle tanks during night operations. The vehicle fires the shell into the air to light up the battlefield and allow other vehicles to find their targets. Once the shell is fired into the sky it will slowly drift downwards with the aid of a small parachute whilst burning brightly. Notable Users of the Leman Russ Vanquisher , and a Support Sentinel during the Taros Campaign]] moves across the battlefield during the Siege of Vraks]] *'Imperial Guard' - The Leman Russ Vanquisher is used by the Imperial Guard as a powerful anti-armour tank, but with the loss of the STC designs used to construct Vanquisher Cannons the Leman Russ Vanquisher is becoming a rare sight amongst Imperial Guard regiments that are operating in sectors that are not crucial to the security of the Imperium. *'Planetary Defence Forces' - The Leman Russ Vanquisher is used by several Planetary Defence Forces stationed on important, well-equipped Imperial worlds, such as Cadia. *'The Lost and the Damned' - The Lost and the Damned is the name collectively given to the multitude of beings that have turned to Chaos over the millennia, the vast majority of whom are the ordinary mortals who fight for Chaos. They are not a single coherent force, but rather a diverse and infinite collection of war-bands and hosts under the leadership of Chaos Champions. These forces take their weapons and vehicles with them, and as many of them were former members of the Imperial Guard or Planetary Defence Forces, they make use of an unknown number of Leman Russ Vanquisher tanks. *'3rd Tallarn Armoured Regiment '- Fought during the defence of Balle Alpha *'2nd Cthonian Armoured Regiment' - Fought during the defence of Veridian Prime *'193rd Valhallan Armoured Regiment' - Fought during the defence of Canaan's World *'142nd Cadian Armoured Regiment' - Fought in the defence of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade *'7th Death Korps of Krieg Tank Regiment' - Fought during the Siege of Vraks *'17th Tallarn Armoured Regiment '- Fought against the Tau in the Taros Campaign *'6th Magdellan Armoured Regiment' - Aided in the recapture of the city of Tsaragrad from enemy forces *'256th Varolian Regiment,"The Ironsides"' - Fought in the harsh fire deserts of Ferrum-Primus *'7th Mortant Regiment, "Headhunters"' - Took part in the Sacking of Colonia *'1st Uttica Tank Regiment " Desert Foxes"' - Fought during the 2nd Utican Civil War *'1st Cthonian Armoured Regiment "The Cudbears"' - Fought during the defence of Veridian Prime *'8th Valhallan Armoured Regiment' - Took part in the Sallan's World Campaign *'Vraksian Traitor Militia' - The Vraksian Traitor Militia fought against Imperial forces during the Siege of Vraks *'262nd Imperial Guard Siege Regiment' - Fought against the Traitor forces during the Siege of Vraks *'Tyrant's Legion' - The Tyrant's Legion fought against the Loyalist forces during the Badab War *'6th Cadian Armoured Regiment' - Fought in the defence of Betalis III against the Eldar of Craftworld Mymeara *'28th Valhallan Armoured Regiment' *'76th Death Korps of Krieg Armoured Regiment' *'61st Death Korps of Krieg Armoured Regiment' *'16th Mortant Armoured Regiment' *'Teutonian Armoured Regiments' *'8th Pardus Armoured Regiment' *'Orestean Pride Armoured Regiments' Adeptus Mechanicus Technical Specifications Also See *'Vehicles of the Imperial Guard' *'Leman Russ Tank' Sources *''Codex: Astra Militarum'' (8th Edition), pp. 51, 114 *''Codex: Astra Militarum'' (6th Edition) (Digital Edition), "Leman Russ Battle Tanks," "Heavy Support - Leman Russ Squadron" *''Codex: Imperial Guard'' (5th Edition), pg. 49 *''Codex: Imperial Guard'' (3rd Edition, 1st Codex), pg. 20 *''Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy'', pp. 31-46 *''Imperial Armour Volume One - Imperial Guard'' (Second Edition), pp. 9, 18, 21, 31-35, 247, 250, 254, 267, 273, 279 *''Imperial Armour Volume Three - The Taros Campaign'', pp. 42, 64, 87 *''Imperial Armour Volume Five - The Siege of Vraks - Part One'', pp. 33, 70, 71, 167 *''Imperial Armour Volume Six - The Siege of Vraks - Part Two'', pp. 5, 41 *''Imperial Armour Volume Seven - The Siege of Vraks - Part Three'', pg. 19 *''Imperial Armour Volume Nine - The Badab War - Part One'', pg. 198 *''Imperial Armour Volume Eleven - The Doom of Mymeara'', pg. 31 *''Imperial Armour Twelve - The Fall of Orpheus'', pp. 69, 91, 203 *''Imperial Armour Apocalypse'', pg. 18 *''Imperial Armour'', pp. 12,15, 40-41 *''Only War: Core Rulebook'' (RPG), pp. 216 *''Gaunt's Ghosts Omnibus: The Saint'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett, pg. 57 *''Titanicus'' (Novel) by Dan Abnett Gallery LemanRussVanquisher01.png|A Leman Russ Vanquisher of the 3rd Tallarn Armoured Regiment; this vehicle took part in the defence of Balle Alpha LemanRussVanquisher02.png|A Leman Russ Vanquisher of the 2nd Cthonian Armoured Regiment, this vehicle took part in the defence of Veridian Prime LemanRussVanquisher03.png|A Leman Russ Vanquisher belonging to the 193rd Valhallan Armoured Regiment; this vehicle fought during the defence of Canaan's World LemanRussVanquisher04.png|A Leman Russ Vanquisher used by the armoured regiments of the Death Korps of Krieg; this vehicle was the personal command tank of Commissar Konstantin Garrick LemanRussVanquisher05.png|A Mars-Alpha Pattern Leman Russ Vanquisher of the 142nd Cadian Armoured Regiment; this vehicle took part in the defence of Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade LemanRussVanquisher09.png|A Leman Russ Vanquisher of the 7th Death Korps of Krieg Tank Regiment; this vehicle is equipped with rough terrain modifications in order to cross trenches during the Siege of Vraks Taros34lemanrussvaanquisher.JPG|A Leman Russ Vanquisher of the 17th Tallarn regiment, command vehicle of the Second Armoured Company and destroyed during the Taros Campaign LemanRussVanquisher0000.png|A heavily damaged Leman Russ Vanquisher fighting off advancing Necrons during the Orphean War V111.jpg|A Stygies VIII Pattern Leman Russ Vanquisher File:MaximaDread.png|The Leman Russ Vanquisher Maxima Dread of the Cadian 185th Armoured Regiment's 2nd Company LemanRussVanquisherCutaway.jpg|Leman Russ Vanquisher internal schematic es:Leman Russ Vanquisher Category:L Category:Imperial Guard Category:Imperial Vehicles Category:Imperial Tanks Category:Tanks Category:Vehicles Category:Chaos Vehicles Category:Chaos Category:Imperium